ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · club · pit · pitcher · trunk · lash · scale · stick

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — a group
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. club — for golf
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pit — in a race
  11. scale — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — the season
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spring — of water
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com